Tear-open closure

ABSTRACT

A substantially full opening tear-open closure for a container, the closure being of the type having an endless thin wall portion intermediate a removable panel and a residual rim. The outside surface of the thin wall portion is recessed from the adjacent outside surface of the rim, and a smooth endless residual edge is disposed at the intersection of the outside surface of the rim and the adjacent surface intermediate the rim and the thin wall portion. The thin wall portion and its endless junctures with both the rim and the removable panel are configured to form a predetermined continuous line-of-weakening which is wholly disposed nearer the wall of the container body to which the closure is secured than the smooth endless residual edge. Thus, upon tearing along the predetermined line-of-weakening to effect the removal of the removable panel, the raw edge formed thereby is also wholly under the residual rim whereby the raw edge is substantially precluded from being a cut hazard.

Matted States Patent [191 Stuard 54] TEAR-OPEN CLOSURE Charles D.Stuard, Cincinnati, Ohio [73] Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company,

Cincinnati, Ohio [22] Filed: Mar. 27,1972

[21] App]. N0.: 238,217

[75] Inventor:

Primary ExaminerGeorge T. Hall Att0mey-Richard C. Witte et al.

[111 3,731,834 51 May 8,1973

57 ABSTRACT A substantially full opening tear-open closure for acontainer, the closure being of the type having an endless thin wallportion intermediate a removable panel and a residual rim. The outsidesurface of the thin wall portion is recessed from the adjacent outsidesurface of the rim, and a smooth endless residual edge is disposed atthe intersection of the outside surface of the rim and the adjacentsurface intermediate the rim and the thin wall portion. The thin wallportion and its endless junctures with both the rim and the removablepanel are configured to form a predetermined continuousline-of-weakening which is wholly disposed nearer the wall of thecontainer body to which the closure is secured than the smooth endlessresidual edge. Thus, upon tearing along the predeterminedline-ofweakening to effect the removal of the removable panel, the rawedge formed thereby is also wholly under the residual rim whereby theraw edge is substantially precluded from being a cut hazard.

9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures TEAR-OPEN CLOSURE CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATEDAPPLICATION This application is related to the commonly assignedconcurrently filed application of Charles D. Stuard entitled A METHOD OFMAKING A TEAR-OPEN CLOSURE tiled Mar. 27, 1972, Ser. No. 238,074 whichdiscloses and claims a method of making the instant invention.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to providingtearopen closures having an integral rim around a removable panelwherein a predetermined line-of-weakening is formed therebetween.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION weakening formed, for instance, by. a scoreline. In I order to provide a large dispensing aperture in suchclosures, to facilitate passage of commodities or fingers or the liketherethrough, the line-of-weakening is generally disposed in thedisc-shape central portion of the closure close to the inner chime wallof its U-shape rim. Thus, the dispensing aperture can be almost as largeas the bore of the tubular container body.

Freshness preserving characteristics and cost of such closures are oftencritical. Also, appearance, convenience, and consumer safety areimportant considerations. In general, closures formed of metal areadequate, and in some respects, such as cost and freshness preserving,are sometimes superior to closures fabricated from other materials.

However, upon opening such end closures, particularly sheet metalclosures, the raw edge formed by tearing along the line-of-weakeningfrequently becomes a cut hazard. That is, a circularly extending rawedge around a dispensing aperture through which a consumers hand orfingers may be extended has too often resulted in a cut, scrape, orcontusion. The present invention is addressed to providing a suitableclosure of the general type delineated hereinabove wherein the cuthazard has been substantially eliminated.

Of course, others have recognized the cut hazard precipitated bytear-open containers and have devised closure configurations directed tothat end. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,279 issued Aug. 24, 1971 toDavid C. ONeill discloses a score line having a radius along at leastone edge of the bottom wall thereof to insure tearing along apredetermined portion of the score line to reduce the cut hazard arounda dispensing opening. Some other representative approaches toeliminating the cut hazard are disclosed in: U.S. Pat. No. 3,543,961issued December 1970 to James E. Kennedy and .iames R. Pound; U.S. Pat.No. 3,557,997 issued Jan. 26, 1971 to Thomas R. Stanley; U.S. Pat. No.3,447,713 issued June 3, 1969 to Frederick J. Stec;

U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,377 issued Sept. 8, 1970 to E. E. Colby et al; andU.S. Pat. No. 3,195,764 issued July 20, 1965 to L. Fried et al. However,none of these approaches has solved all of the problems associated withtear-open closures in the manner of nor to the degree of the presentinvention.

For instance, the end closure configuration disclosed by Kennedy andPound in U.S. Pat. No. 3,543,961 has a line-of-weakening formed by ascore line having side walls extending from its inside surface towardsits outside surface at the convex juncture of the inner chime wall andthe removable central panel. Thus, the line-of- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe nature and substance of the invention will be more readilyappreciated after giving consideration to its major aims and purposes.The principal objects of the invention are recited in the ensuingparagraphs in order to provide a better appreciation of its importantaspects prior to describing the details of a preferred embodiment inlater portions of this description.

A major object of the invention is providing a tearopen closure for acontainer wherein a predetermined line-of-weakening is nearer the sidewall of the container than the smooth residual edge of the closureadjacent the predetermined line-of-weakening.

Another object of the invention is providing a tearopen sheet metal endclosure for a tubular container, the closure having a peripherallyextending rim spaced from a removable panel by an endless thin wallportion recessed from the outwardly facing surface of the rim.

These and other objects are achieved by providing a substantially fullopening tear-open closure for a tubular container comprising a removablepanel, means for removing the removable panel, an integral rim extendingaround the periphery of the removable panel, and an endless thin wallportion intermediate the removable panel and the rim. The endless thinwall portion forms a predetermined line-of-wea'kening intermediate theremovable panel and the rim. The outside surface of the thin wallportion is recessed from the outside surface of the rim and is disposedso that the predetermined line-of-weakening is nearer to the wall of thecontainer than the smooth residual edge of the closure at theintersection of the outside surface of the rim and the surface of theclosure extending from the outside surface of the rim to the outsidesurface of the thin wall portion. The rim is configured to be secured toa tubular container so that the rim is substantially precluded frombending inwardly from the wall of the container upon removal of theremovable panel. Therefore, the raw edge formed by tearing the closurealong the predetermined line-of-weakening to remove the removable panelto open the container will remain nearer the wall of the container andunder the adjacent smooth residual edge of the rim.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While the specification concludes withclaims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subjectmatter regarded as forming the present invention, it is believed theinvention will be better understood from the following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the top of a tubularcontainer having a preferred tear-open closure embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the rim of thetubular container of FIG. 1 taken along line 22 thereof.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the container rim of FIG. 2after a substantially full-open dispensing aperture has been opened inthe container by removing the removable panel from the preferred closureembodiment of the instant invention.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the rim of a container similarto the container shownvin FIG. 2 but which comprises an alternateclosure embodiment of the instant invention having an alternateline-ofweakening configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Container 20, FIG. 1, comprisestubular container body having a wall 21, and a closure 22 having ateartab 23. Although wall 21 is shown to have a right circularcylindrical geometry and tear-tab 23 is of the ring type, it is notintended to thereby limit the instant invention.

Closure 22, FIG. 2, a preferred embodiment of the instant invention,comprises a disc shaped removable panel 26 having a U-shape rim 24integrally formed thereon with a predetermined line-of-weakening definedby, for example, score line 25 disposed therebetween. However, it is notintended to limit the present invention to a line-of-weakening formed bya score line. Although the geometry and disposition of the thin wallportion designated 42 and its junctures with rim 24 and removable panel26 are critical to the present invention as hereinafter set forth, themanner of producing the thin wall portion is not believed to be criticalto the present invention.

Closure 22 has an outside surface 28 and an inside surface 29. Rim 24comprises an inner chime wall 30 and an outer chime wall 31 both ofwhich, in the preferred embodiment of the instant invention, aresubstantially right circular cylindrical in form. The radially outwardlyfacing surface 32 of inner chime wall 30 is spaced from the radiallyinwardly facing surface 33 of outer chime wall 31 to form a U-shapecross section, peripherally extending channel therebetween for receivingan end of wall 21. A circumferentially extending fillet 34 is formed atthe juncture of inner chime wall 30 with removable panel 26. Score line25 depressed or recessed from the outside surface 28 of closure 22,comprises a circularly extending radially outwardly canted, radiallyoutermost wall 38, a circularly extending, radially outwardly canted,radially innermost wall 39, and a bottom wall 40. The circularlyextending intersection of wall 38 with the adjacent outside surface 28of inner chime wall 30 is a circularly extending smooth edge which ishereby designated residual edge 41. As will hereinafter be delineated,residual edge 41 is furtherest removed from the wall 21 after theclosure 22 has been opened by removing panel 26. The material betweenthe bottom wall 40 and the adjacent inside surface 29 of fillet 34 is ofrelatively thin crosssection and will be designated as the thin wallportion 42. As is well known to those having ordinary skill in the art,the thickness of the thin wall portion 42, relative to the thickness ofthe other portions of tear-open closures, defines a line-of-weakeningwhich is relatively easily torn to remove the central portion of theclosure adjacent the line-of-weakening.

Score line 25, as shown in FIG. 2, has relatively sharp (unrounded)peripherally extending corners 43, 44. Both corners 43, 44 of the scoreline are radially outwardly disposed from residual edge 41 because ofthe radially outwardly canted geometry of score line 25 with respect tothe central axis of the container 20. That is, corner 43 is a distanceAr, radially outwardly from residual edge 41, and corner 44 is adistance Ar radially outwardly from residual edge 41. As is well knownto those having ordinary skill in the art, tearing will be initiated ateither of the sharp corners 43 or 44, or at a point intermediate thereofthrough the thin wall portion 42. This insures that the raw edge 45,FIG. 3, formed by tearing along the line-of-weakening will always bedisposed nearer the wall 21 of the container 2 than the smooth residualedge 41.

Closures 22 as described are preferably composed of a relatively hardtemper sheet metal. For instance, 5052H 1 9 aluminum having a thicknessof from about six to about twelve thousandths of an inch but preferablyabout eight thousandths of an inch has been widely adopted for tear-opencanned beer and beverage closures. In such closures, this wall portion42 is commonly from about two to about four thousandths of an inchthick. However, it is not intended to limit the present invention tometal closures of this temper or of these dimensions.

Referring back to FIG. 2, closure 22 is applied to wall 21 toformcontainer 20 by telescoping the end of wall 21 into the U-shape rimof closure 22 and providing an adhesive 96 to bond them together and tofill the space therebetween. Adhesive 96 may be placed in the channel ofrim 24 before the end wall 21 is telescoped thereinto whereby the end ofwall 21 displaces some of the adhesive forming a bead thereofintermediate the radially inwardly facing wall 21 of container 20 andfillet 34 of the closure. Alternatively, a bead of adhesive may beplaced on the edge of wall 21 before it is telescoped into the U-shaperim of the closure. Insofar as the present invention is concerned,securing the closure to the wall of the body of the container throughthe use of adhesives, or rolling, or otherwise is only necessary toprevent the base of the inner chime wall 30 from bending so far inwardlyupon removal of panel 26 as to position raw edge 45, FIG. 3, furtherfrom container wall 21 than residual edge 41.

At some point in the fabrication of container 20, tear-tab 23 must besecured to removable panel 26 through the use of an integral rivet, or adiscrete rivet, or otherwise so that the predetermined line-of-weakeningdefined by score line 25 or otherwise can be wholly ruptured by pullingon tear-tab 23. Thus, upon removal of removable panel 26 from thecontainer, an aperture is opened in the end of container which issubstantially as large as the inside of wall 21 of container 20.Therefore, closure 22 is designated a substantially full openingtear-open closure.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the fragmentary portion of container 20 of FIG.2 is shown after the removal of removable panel 26 as by pulling ontear-tab 231, FIG. ll. FIG. 3 further shows that raw edge 45 formed bytearing along the predetermined line-of-weakening is wholly disposedradially outwardly from the residual edge 41 of the inner chime wall.Because raw edge 45 is wholly disposed under and radially outwardly fromthe smooth residual edge 41, the cut hazard commonly associated withtear-open containers is substantially obviated.

Although the preferred configuration closure 22 is circular, the presentinvention can be utilized to form polygonal closures having roundedcorners, oval closures, and other closures having continuously curvedlinearnents. Also, although removable panel 26 of closure 22. isdescribed as being planar, embossments and the like are not summarilyprecluded from closures embodying the present invention.

An alternate configuration closure 22a is shown in FIG. 4. Thisalternate configuration closure also has a thin wall portion 42 formedby a radially outwardly canted score line which is designated a. Howeverscore line 25a of the alternate configuration is shown to have only onesharp corner 44a and one rounded corner 43a. A score line having onesharp corner and one rounded corner is disclosed in a planar blank inU.S. Pat. No. 3,691,279 issued Aug. 24, 1971 to David C. ONeill.

In removing the central panel 26 from the closure 22a, FIG. 4, the thinwall portion 42 will tear through the thin wall portion 42 along thesharp internal, circularly extending corner 44a of radially outwardlycanted score line 25a. This forms a raw edge that is wholly disposedradially outwardly from residual edge 41 of closure 22a. That is, theraw edge is closer to wall 21 of container 20 than residual edge 41,thus providing the same cut hazard protection as the preferredembodiment closure 22.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in theart that various changes and modifications can be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended to coverin the appended claims all such changes and modifications that arewithin the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A tear-open closure for a container, said closure comprising aremovable panel, an integral rim extending peripherally around saidremovable panel, and means for removal of said removable panel, saidmeans for removal of said removable panel comprising an endless thinwall portion intermediate said removable panel and said rim, said thinwall portion having its outside surface recessed from the outsidesurface of said rim, said closure further comprising a wall surfaceintermediate the outside surface of said rim and the outside surface ofsaid thin wall portion, and a smooth residual edge at the intersectionof the outside surface of said rim and said wall surface, said thin wallportion and its junctures with said rim and said removable panel beingconfigured and disposed to define an endless predeterminedline-of-weakening which is nearer the side wall of the container thansaid smooth residual edge.

2. The closure of claim 1 wherein said rim comprises a tubular innerchime wall extending upwardly from the periphery of said removablepanel,

3. The closure of claim ll fabricated of sheet metal having a thicknessof from about six-thousandths to about twelve-thousandths of an inchwherein the thickness of said thin wall portion is from abouttwothousandths to about four-thousandths of an inch.

4. The closure of claim 1 fabricated of 5052-4419 aluminum having anominal thickness of about eightthousandths of an inch and wherein saidthin wall portion has a thickness of from about two-thousandths to aboutfour-thousandths of an inch.

5. The closure of claim 4 wherein said rim has a U- shape cross sectioncomprising an inner chime wall spaced from an outer chime wall forming aU-shape channel therebetween, said channel being adapted to receive atubular wall of a container and to have said rim secured to the tubularwall of the container whereby deformation of said rim by the removal ofsaid removable panel is substantially precluded so that the raw edgeformed by the removal of said removable panel remains nearer theadjacent wall of the container than said smooth residual edge.

6. A tear-open container comprising a wall having a dispensing openingtherein, and a tear-open closure, said closure comprising a removablepanel, an integral rim extending peripherally around said removablepanel, and means for removal of said removable panel, said means forremoval of said removable panel comprising an endless thin wall portionintermediate said removable panel and said rim, said thin wall portionhaving its outside surface recessed from the outside surface of saidrim, said closure further comprising a wall surface'intermediate theoutside surface of said rim and the outside surface of said thin wallportion,

and a smooth residual edge at the intersection of the outside surface ofsaid rim and said wall surface, said thin wall and its junctures withsaid rim and said removable panel being configured and disposed todefine an endless predetermined line-of-weakening which is nearer theside wall of the container than said smooth residual edge.

7. The tear-open container of claim 6 wherein said closure comprisessheet metal having a thickness of from about six-thousandths to abouttwelvethousandths of an inch wherein the thickness of said thin wallportion is from about two-thousandths to about four-thousandths of aninch.

8. The tear-open container of claim 7 wherein said rim has a U-shapecross section comprising an inner chime wall spaced from an outerforming wall forming a U-shape channel therebetween said channel beingadapted to receive a tubular wall of a container and to have .said rimsecured to the tubular wall of the con tainer whereby deformation ofsaid rim by the removal of said removable panel is substantiallyprecluded so that the raw edge formed by the removal of said removablepanel remains nearer the adjacent wall of the container than said smoothresidual edge.

9. The tear-open container of claim 8 wherein said closure is fabricatedof 5052-11 l 9 aluminum having a nominal thickness of abouteitht-thousandths of an inch and wherein said thin wall portion has athickness of from about two-thousandths to about four-thousandths of aninch.

1. A tear-open closure for a container, said closure comprising aremovable panel, an integral rim extending peripherally around saidremovable panel, and means for removal of said removable panel, saidmeans for removal of said removable panel comprising an endless thinwall portion intermediate said removable panel and said rim, said thinwall portion having its outside surface recessed from the outsidesurface of said rim, said closure further comprising a wall surfaceintermediate the outside surface of said rim and the outside surface ofsaid thin wall portion, and a smooth residual edge at the intersectionof the outside surface of said rim and said wall surface, said thin wallportion and its junctures with said rim and said removable panel beingconfigured and disposed to define an endless predeterminedline-of-weakening which is nearer the side wall of the container thansaid smooth residual edge.
 2. The closure of claim 1 wherein said rimcomprises a tubular inner chime wall extending upwardly from theperiphery of said removable panel.
 3. The closure of claim 1 fabricatedof sheet metal having a thickness of from about six-thousandths to abouttwelve-thousandths of an inch wherein the thickness of said thin wallportion is from about two-thousandths to about four-thousandths of aninch.
 4. The closure of claim 1 fabricated of 5052-H19 aluminum having anominal thickness of about eight-thousandths of an inch and wherein saidthin wall portion has a thickness of from about two-thousandths to aboutfour-thousandths of an inch.
 5. The closure of claim 4 wherein said rimhas a U-shape cross section comprising an inner chime wall spaced froman outer chime wall forming a U-shape channel therebetween, said channelbeing adapted to receive a tubular wall of a container and to have saidrim secured to the tubular wall of the container whereby deformation ofsaid rim by the removal of said removable panel is substantiallyprecluded so that the raw edge formed by the removal of said removablepanel remains nearer the adjacent wall of the container than said smoothresidual edge.
 6. A tear-open container comprising a wall having adispensing opening therein, and a tear-open closure, said closurecomprising a removable panel, an integral rim extending peripherallyaround said removable panel, and means for removal of said removablepanel, said means for removal of said removable panel comprising anendless thin wall portion intermediate said removable panel and saidrim, said thin wall portion having its outside surface recessed from theoutside surface of said rim, said closure further comprising a wallsurface intermedIate the outside surface of said rim and the outsidesurface of said thin wall portion, and a smooth residual edge at theintersection of the outside surface of said rim and said wall surface,said thin wall and its junctures with said rim and said removable panelbeing configured and disposed to define an endless predeterminedline-of-weakening which is nearer the side wall of the container thansaid smooth residual edge.
 7. The tear-open container of claim 6 whereinsaid closure comprises sheet metal having a thickness of from aboutsix-thousandths to about twelve-thousandths of an inch wherein thethickness of said thin wall portion is from about two-thousandths toabout four-thousandths of an inch.
 8. The tear-open container of claim 7wherein said rim has a U-shape cross section comprising an inner chimewall spaced from an outer forming wall forming a U-shape channeltherebetween said channel being adapted to receive a tubular wall of acontainer and to have said rim secured to the tubular wall of thecontainer whereby deformation of said rim by the removal of saidremovable panel is substantially precluded so that the raw edge formedby the removal of said removable panel remains nearer the adjacent wallof the container than said smooth residual edge.
 9. The tear-opencontainer of claim 8 wherein said closure is fabricated of 5052-H19aluminum having a nominal thickness of about eitht-thousandths of aninch and wherein said thin wall portion has a thickness of from abouttwo-thousandths to about four-thousandths of an inch.